Sports Media With Richard Deitsch

Episode 283 of the Sports Media podcast features San Jose Mercury News reporter Jon Wilner, who authors the “Pac-12 Hotline” column, and Sweeny Murti, an MLB Media as a senior contributor. In this podcast, Wilner discusses where things stand with Pac-12 media rights negotiations; Amazon’s conceptual interest in a Friday night window; the interests of ESPN, Apple and Amazon; the likely time frame of a deal; the potential dollars each school is looking at annually; the proximity of Pac-12 schools to Amazon and Apple; the likely end of the Pac-12 Networks; the basketball and Olympic sport programs of the Pac-12; whether Washington can emerge as a bigger football power and more. Murti discusses his new job for MLB Media after a 30-year year run at New York sports station WFAN; how his new job came about; working 22 years as a New York Yankees reporter; how he feels about WFAN management today; the biggest challenge covering the Yankees every day; Derek Jeter joining Fox and what Murti’s expectations are of Jeter

Episode 282 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation on covering F1 with Luke Smith, a senior writer for The Athletic, and Madeline Coleman, a staff writer for The Athletic. In this podcast, Smith and Coleman discuss how one goes about covering Formula One given the sheer amount of teams and people in the sport; what kind of access they receive as media; F1 soaring in popularity, especially in North America; why the increased interest in the U.S.; the impact of Liberty Media as well as the sport embracing social media; the addition of new U.S.-based races; the importance of a challenger in 2023 for Max Verstappen; the challenges of getting time with the top drivers; Logan Sargeant and the importance of an American driver emerging, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices

Episode 281 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with The Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal assistant managing editor/digital Austin Karp. In this podcast, the group discusses the NBA All-Star Game averaging a record-l0w 4.6 million viewers on TNT/TBS; what, if anything, can be done to bring back All Star Game viewers; the NBA’s regular-season viewership and average attendance up this year; the expectations for the launch of MLS/Apple Season Pass and what we expect from the look of the product and viewership; the viewership for the Daytona 500; how Daytona compares to other sports properties; the launch of the XFL; whether we think spring football can work; a potential Pac-12 media rights deal’; why the Pac-12 has little leverage over media companies; LIV golf’s prospects as a media play; Charles Barkley as a potential CNN analyst, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener d

Episode 280 of the Sports Media Podcast features Apple and Major League Soccer match analysts Marcelo Balboa, Danielle Slaton, and Taylor Twellman. In this podcast, Balboa, Slaton and Twellman discuss why they decided to pursue an assignment with Apple/MLS; the upcoming MLS Season Pass and how they see the coverage; what is unique about working with Apple so far; the opportunities and challenges of being part of a new entity; their concern level about other sports media entities not covering the league; whether they can be critical of MLS; how their partners were assigned to them; the Spanish language coverage; the success of “Welcome to Wrexham” and whether it could be duplicated with an MLS doc; the prospect of Leo Messi coming to Miami; what Messi’s arrival would mean, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choice

Episode 279 of the Sports Media Podcast features Tashan Reed, a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Las Vegas Raiders and the host of the upcoming podcast series from The Athletic, “Between The Lines.” He is followed by Evan Drellich, a senior writer who covers the business of baseball for The Athletic and is the author of a new book, “Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess.” In this podcast, Reed discusses his narrative podcast about what it means to be Black in the NFL and explains how race impacts each level of the league’s organization chart; why this was a topic he wanted to immerse himself in; the processing of reporting and the interview subjects for the piece; whether the NFL has any incentive to change on race, and more. Drellich discusses why the story of Astros cheating scandal is important; Mike Fiers as a whistleblower and his impact on the reporting; whether baseball is truly interested in policing this; MLB condoning Jim Crane and why so man

Episode 278 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox Sports NASCAR play by play announcer Mike Joy and race analyst Larry McReynolds. In this podcast, Joy and McReynolds discuss calling the Daytona 500, which will air on Fox on Feb. 19; how they determine success with their broadcast; balancing a broadcast that caters to old school fans while also not being over the heads of new or casual fans; how much a new lead producer will change the Fox broadcast; working alongside Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart versus a booth with one race analyst; how they look at viewership as a broadcasters and does it impact them; how McReynolds feels about the challenge of no longer being at the track on a weekly basis; Joy on how long he wants to call races; the addition of Kevin Harvick to the broadcast booth full-time in 2024; the value of three pit reporters; making a NASCAR race feel like an event and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more.   To learn mo

Episode 277 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jim Trotter, a reporter for NFL Media and a longtime NFL reporter with stops at ESPN and Sports Illustrated among other places. In this podcast. Trotter discusses his interaction with Rihanna, which went viral; having a video viewed by millions; his question of  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the NFL’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and how there is not been a black person in senior management in the newsroom in Trotter’s five years at NFL Media; how one asks Goodell a question at that press conference; why he asked the question; what he felt about Goodell’s answer; whether Patrick Mahomes is a Hall of Famer if he retired today; how the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting works; why that vote is not public, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choic

Episode 276 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Boston Globe sports media writer and columnist Chad Finn and  journalist, best-selling author and podcast host Jim Miller. In this podcast, Finn and Deitsch discuss Fox’s Super Bowl LVII broadcast; how Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen did; what Olsen’s performance means for Tom Brady; Terry Bradshaw and Chris Berman; Rhianna’s halftime performance; Fox hiring Derek Jeter as an MLB studio analyst; Super Bowl Media Week and leaks; and more. Miller discusses the passing of Barry Sacks, the longtime ESPN coordinating producer and mentor of many on-air talent; Bob Iger saying ESPN will now operate in a standalone silo within the larger entertainment conglomerate; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 275 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox Sports and Chicago Bulls play by play broadcaster Adam Amin, and Adnan Virk, a host for MLB Network, NHL Network as well as his film podcast, Cinephile. In this podcast, Amin and Virk what they see as the challenges of calling a Super Bowl and hosting a Super Bowl pregame show; the end of Outside The Lines as a linear television show; whether a show like OTL can succeed in 2023; the surplus of sports documentaries right now including Break Point, Welcome to Wrexham; the criticism faced this year by Tony Romo and Al Michaels; WWE co-CEO Nick Khan and his media interview strategy; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 274 of the Sports Media Podcast features Chantel Jennings and Sabreena Merchant. Both Jennings and Merchant are national writers for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women’s college basketball. In this podcast, Jennings and Merchant discuss how they approach covering women’s basketball on a national level; the WNBA’s Liberty and Aces, which now feature 10 of the league’s 30 best players including Breanna Stewart Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, A'ja Wilson, Candace Parker and Kelsey Plum, among others; how a potential super team looks in 2023 compared to the Minnesota Lynx of Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus; the player empowerment era of the WNBA; what free agency means for media coverage of the WNBA and specifically how ESPN will cover and program games this season; whether there is value in the WNBA being talked about on shows such as First Take; how Britney Griner in will be covered this year by media outlets; the 2024 WNBA Draft; whether Paige Bueckers and Aliyah Boston should use their COVID yea

Episode 273 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with The Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal assistant managing editor/digital Austin Karp on Tom Brady’s retirement and what it means for Fox Sports and Greg Olsen. They are followed by The Athletic investigative reporter Katie Strang. In this podcast, Finn and Karp discuss Brady’s retirement and what that means for Fox; how Olsen is impacted by the news; the expectations on Brady as a broadcaster; if Olsen has options away from Fox; NHL viewership on ESPN and TNT dropping 22 percent heading into the All-Star break; falling Winter Classic viewership numbers; Boston’s Channel 4 testing a 6 p.m. newscast without a sports report; covering Bobby Hull and how to write an obit of a miserable human being; SBJ’s Michael Smith’s story that the NCAA has picked Karen Brodkin and Hillary Mandel to prepare the NCAA for its next round of media rights negotiations and more. Strang discusses her reporting on Zvi Levran, who is

Episode 272 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox NFL play by play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Greg Olsen. Burkhardt and Olsen will call the Niners-Eagles NFC Championship Game, and then Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12. In this podcast, Burkhardt and Olsen discuss how they judge success for their broadcast; Olsen’s specific preparation for each game; how Burkhardt approaches calling his Super Bowl; Olsen on Tom Brady having a contract with Fox to call the No. 1 game whenever Brady retires; how Olsen has approached the season with regard to the Brady contract; whether Olsen would work in a three-person booth; Burkhardt on Olsen’s audition; Olsen on how Burkhardt’s humility helps the broadcast; the value of looking at the field away from the quarterback position; whether it is an advantage to going into the broadcast booth immediately after retiring; advice Burkhardt received from Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play,

Episode 271 of the Sports Media Podcast features an NFL conversation with Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post and Lindsay Jones of The Ringer. They are followed by Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle, who remembers her friend and the writer and editor, Gwen Knapp, who passed away last week at age 61. In this podcast, Jhabvala and Jones discuss how they would approach covering Niners-Eagles and Bengals-Chiefs; the challenges of covering postseason games if you are a beat person from another market; how to differentiate your stories at a Super Bowl; what they want from an NFL analyst and play by play; an update on the possible sale of the Commanders; the best sites for NFL statistics; what they would you say to fans who love the NFL but also hate certain aspects of the game and more. Slusser discusses what made Knapp such a unique and nuanced writer; Knapp’s career as a columnist and writer in Philadelphia and San Francisco; her being one of the first sports journalists to raise doubts about the vali

Episode 270 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist, the director and executive producer of “Super League: The War for Football,” which is airing on Apple TV + and chronicles the attempts of teams such as Real Madrid, Arsenal and Juventus to form a breakaway European soccer league. In this episode, Zimbalist discusses his four-part docuseries; the background of why the European super clubs attempted to form their own league; how UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was able to ward off the breakaway project for now; how to get access from the super-rich; the challenge of recreating events for dramatic purposes; the future of European soccer and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 269 of the Sports Media Podcast features a roundtable sports media discussion with Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal managing editor/digital Austin Karp. In this podcast, Deitsch, Finn, and Karp discuss the NFL Super Wild Card Weekend; ESPN’s Cowboys-Bucs coverage; Greg Olsen; Tony Romo; Al Michaels; Tony Dungy; Tom Brady’s future ; Fred Gaudelli; Netflix’s sports documentaries including “Break Point”; Apple TV+’s “Super League: The War for Football”; Australian Open coverage and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 268 of the Sports Media Podcast features Al Michaels, the iconic sports broadcaster who is coming off his first season as the play by play voice for Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football. He will also call the opening round of the NFL postseason for NBC. In this podcast, Michaels discusses his first year in the booth for Amazon; working with Kirk Herbstreit; his being critical of some dud game Amazon aired; having never had a pet; the broadcasting prospects of Sean McVay, Tom Brady and Mike Tomlin; Joe Buck and Damar Hamlin information; where sports gambling is heading on NFL broadcasts; the 2024 Paris Olympics; Greg Olsen and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 267 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with The Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn on ESPN’s studio and broadcast coverage of Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the Buffalo Bills, who collapsed on the field during the first quarter of a Jan. 2, 2023 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Deitsch and Finn discuss how ESPN approached and handled the coverage. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 266 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Tara Slone, a digital, television, and podcast host for the San Jose Sharks and a contributor to NBC Sports Bay Area. She is followed by Stephen Brunt, one of Canada’s most well-known sports voices and the author of multiple bestselling books. including his two latest, “Playing the Long Game,” written with Christine Sinclair, and “All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice,” written with Bryan Trottier. In this podcast, Slone discusses her new job with the NHL’s Sharks and how that came to be; living and working in a new country; her long and distinguished run as a host at Sportsnet (Canada) including her work as co-host on the long-running Rogers Hometown Hockey, which aired on Sportsnet; the shock of being let go by Rogers; dealing with vitriol on social media after her thoughts on Don Cherry and getting hate mail; her previous life as the lead singer of the Juno-nominated band Joydrop; where she thinks sports media is heading in Canada

Episode 265 of the Sports Media Podcast features The Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal. In this podcast we discuss the sports media stories we expect to be notable in 2023; the upcoming rights for the college football playoffs, the NBA, and LIV Golf; the prospect of Tom Brady in the Fox booth; what we expect viewership-wise for Brittney Griner’s first WNBA game this year; 2023 sports media talents to watch including Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike, and Marie Donoghue; a deep look at Fox’s World Cup coverage and we hope for 2026; Pat McAfee’s 2022; what we expect from sports gambling in 2023, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 264 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests and the first sisters on the podcast. Malika Andrews is the host of ESPN’s weekday NBA studio show, NBA Today and an NBA reporter for the company. Her sister, Kendra Andrews, covers the Golden State Warriors for ESPN. In this podcast, Kendra and Malika discuss how they gravitated toward NBA media jobs; the qualities they admire about each other; how Malika’s reporting in the NBA bubble in 2020 impacted her professionally and personally; navigating a certain level of being recognized by the sports viewing public; Malika’s struggles as a teen and attending a therapeutic boarding school; Malika asking Paige Bueckers for basketball analysis to help her with her job; how Kendra sees the challenges and benefits of the Warriors beat; Malika on Hilary Guy, NBA Today’s coordinating producer; the best interviews in the NBA right now; advice for young people of color, particularly women, who want to go into this business; dreams of doing longform pieces and cov